Historic career-high: Alex Eala now world No. 75 after win over Swiatek

Metro Manila, Philippines - The spotlight is on teenage wildcard Alex Eala as she makes the most of her historic run at the Miami Open, defeating world No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland to set a new career-high 75th seed in the world live rankings on Thursday, March 27.

Eala leaped from world No. 140 and became the first Filipina to crack the World Tennis Association (WTA) top 100 and also the first to book a WTA semifinals ticket.

“It feels amazing because I know this is a historical achievement,” the 19-year-old prodigy told reporters.

“It’s definitely an achievement that I dedicate to my country but it’s also a huge personal achievement. And for that, I’d like to give myself a pat on the back and give my team a pat on the back,” she added.

The Filipina ace earlier stunned tennis fans over her dominant run against Swiatek, 6-2, 7-5, a five-time Grand Slam champion who bagged a bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

This comes right after back-to-back wins against former French Open champ Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia and reigning Australian Open title holder Madison Keys of the US, victories which earned her the nickname “Grand Slam Slayer.”

Eala said these historic achievements are not her “end goal” as she vows to “keep working.”

Eala is poised to become the first Filipina to reach a WTA finals. The only barrier is world No. 4 Jessica Pegula, also of the US, her next semifinals match set for Friday, March 28, at 8:30 a.m. (PH time).